Four days of war in Israel has left at least 1,900 people dead. Intense air and artillery strikes in Gaza today, as the Israeli military pounded the strip with the fiercest strikes in its 75 year conflict with the Palestinians.

Entire districts of Gaza have been completely destroyed despite a threat by Hamas militants to execute captive Israelis. Armed factions like Hezbollah in Lebanon are firing rockets into Israel from the north, as Hamas continues its fight from Gaza – increasing fears that this war will escalate further.

READ MORE: Second Canadian confirmed dead following attack on Israeli music festival

Today, the U.S. President called Hamas’ attacks on Israel “pure evil.” The increasing bloodshed comes as another Canadian has been identified as a victim of Hamas’ surprise attack on Saturday.

For more on the war, we spoke with James Gelvin, a professor of middle eastern history at the University of California, Los Angeles.